Crafters lend helping hand by making hats

Thursday

Nov 22, 2012 at 2:00 AMNov 23, 2012 at 10:40 AM

They come in assorted colors, patterned or plain. Sometimes they have a turned-up cuff, flower or bouncy pom-pom. When winter hits, knitted hats keep people of all ages warm and they are always in style. But ask any parents and they will attest that the hat is the first casualty of winter, often left behind on the playground or bus.

They come in assorted colors, patterned or plain. Sometimes they have a turned-up cuff, flower or bouncy pom-pom. When winter hits, knitted hats keep people of all ages warm and they are always in style. But ask any parents and they will attest that the hat is the first casualty of winter, often left behind on the playground or bus.

Before Superstorm Sandy roared through the East Coast, most people could easily replace that hat. After the storm and later a Nor'easter, those who have to replace everything see that knitted hat as one more thing. It's a sure bet that knitted hat will top many upcoming Christmas and Hanukkah wish lists this year. And if this catastrophe taught us any lesson it should be to have an appreciation for small things that are often taken for granted.

Two weeks ago, the 845 Craft Guide asked local crafters and artists to become Sandy Samaritans and use their talent to help comfort those affected by the hurricane. Organizations have been inundated with everyday clothing donations, but this is not the case for outdoor clothing and blankets, which are still needed.

These local crafters took this as an opportunity to refocus their own philanthropic endeavors.

A month ago, Cindy Saari and her friend Maranda Salomatoff, both of Newburgh, started Kreate for Cancer after watching too many relatives get diagnosed. They began crocheting seamless caps for cancer patients. Saari learned to crochet and knit from her late grandmother, Katie (hence the "K" in Kreate), but Saari decided to make hats for cancer patients because her paternal grandmother is a cancer survivor.

Before long Kreate for Cancer amassed several big bags of hats, but hospitals were slow to get back to the women about donating them. That's when they decided to branch out their mission, because whether it's a disease or a weather disaster, a survivor is a survivor.

Since the late 1980s, Loretto Kennedy of Blooming Grove and her sisters have traveled to Africa, Peru and Jamaica. Kennedy brings her handknitted caps with her to give to children. Kennedy said although a good portion of Africa is desert, the nights can get cold with children doing homework by candlelight.

"It's not just something to keep your head warm, it's something different," Kennedy said. "This blue and white hat is mine! This is my possession. This is my very own."

This great-grandmother is a lifelong crafter, but she put her knitting needles down for a while until she realized knitting could be a solution to her problem.

"When I started to fall asleep during my favorite shows (football, horse racing and "C.S.I."), I wanted to stay up to see what happened ... (and to find out who) murdered who?" Kennedy said. "It's pretty bad when you have to call a neighbor to find out."

And now she makes more hats than some dramas have episodes.

She keeps a photo album of the children who proudly wear her own designs. These are children who, when presented with a book, ask "if they can keep it forever."

Now, children from New York and New Jersey affected by Sandy will be showing their appreciation for her work.

Perhaps those kids will now be added to her photo album with their smiles of thanks.